Heart of Stark: My Community Health Center Pharmacy opens in Canton
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With federal funding and support from the community, My Community Health Center (MCHC) officially opened its in-house pharmacy this month, allowing the nonprofit medical center to further assist its network of medically underserved patients by offering discounted prescriptions alongside quality medical care.
MCHC is a federally qualified health center, a nonprofit that serves medically underserved areas and populations, and offers its services to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. The organization offers primary care for children and adults, along with obstetric and gynecology care and referrals to specialists when needed. Its goal is to provide patients with accessible, quality care through its network of providers, while encouraging active participation in their healthcare journeys.
In 2022, MCHC served over 10,000 patients — 50% of whom are enrolled in Medicaid, 29% in Medicare and 5% uninsured. The addition of this new pharmacy significantly impacts its patients as the clinic continues to strive for better health outcomes in our community.
During the grand opening ceremony, the pharmacy was dedicated in recognition of MCHC’s founding CEO Terry Regula for her vision and leadership in providing accessible health care for all.
Rather than purchasing their prescribed medication through a chain pharmacy, many MCHC patients can now pick up their medications after their appointment by utilizing the pharmacy located in the Canton office’s waiting room — often for a fraction of the retail price.
“My Community Health Center Pharmacy allows us to purchase outpatient medications at significantly reduced costs,” said MCHC CEO Juan-Paulo Afable. “This enables our organization to provide very affordable and discounted medications to our many underinsured and uninsured patients.”
As part of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, MCHC stretches scarce federal resources as far as possible to reach more eligible patients and provide more comprehensive services. The 340B status allows the pharmacy to purchase from vendors and sell the medication its patients need at a discounted, affordable price.
“We hope that the generated savings of this in-house pharmacy will help us continue to thrive and grow our services as we meet the needs of our patients,” said Afable.
Currently, the organization’s two clinics are located in Canton and Magnolia. A third location in Southeast Canton will open in the fall, occupying half of the renovated center at 1318 Gonder Ave. SE alongside StarkFresh and Canton For All People.
To learn more about MCHC, visit www.mycomhc.org.
Stark Community Foundation helps individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits achieve their philanthropic goals through a variety of charitable funds and strategic initiatives. Ranked in the top 10% of community foundations in the country, the foundation and its family of donors have granted $230 million to nonprofits since 1963. Learn more at www.starkcf.org.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Heart of Stark: My Community Health Center Pharmacy opens in Canton
